Tamale-making apparatus



A. M. OJEDA. TAMALE MAKING APPARATUS. 3 APPLICATION FILED FEB. l, T922-I I Pmtenmd Oct. 24, 1922.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- A. M. (NEDA.

TAMALE MAKING APPARATUS.

ABPLICATION FILEQ' FEB. l l922- Emma Oct. 24

1922,, 2 SHEETSSHEET 2,

Patented- Uct. H l, 192.2...

air stare a "rear an AIVJ TANDG M. OJLEDA, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TAIVIALE-IVTAKING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 1, 1922. Serial No. 533,289.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, AMANno M. OJEDiA, a citizen of Mexico, residing atLos Angeles, in the county of llos Angelcs and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Tamale-Making Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for making tamales, and a purpose ofmy inventlon is the provision or an apparatus of this character in whichmechanism is provided lli for successively feeding corn husks to thedischarge end of a magazine from which s fOPClblY fed the material ofwhich a tamale is formed, and means associated with the magazine forspreading the material over the surface of the corn husks. Furthermore,my invention provides an. apparatus which deliversthe material and huskto a remote point for a subsequent folding of the husk in completing themaking of the tamales.

I will describe one form of tam ale making apparatus embodying myinvention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a view showing in side elevation one form of tamale malnngapparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view partly in vertical section of the magazineand adjacent mechanism.

3 Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4t-4 of Figure3. a

Figure 5is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the magazine and huski'ceding mechanism in front elevation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theseveral views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, my invention in its presentembodiment comprises a table designated at T and including legs 15 forsupporting the table top 16 in the desired horizontal plane. T he legsare the bolts are adjustable vertically within the slots 19 to vary thehorizontal position of the bars 21 and consequently the bracket 22.Within the bracket 22, a magazine M is adapted to be sustained, thelatter in the present instance being of cylindrical form and having itsupper end closed by a convex cover plate 23 detachably secured bymeans'oi? pivoted securing members 24.

' As shown in Figure 3, the" lower end of the magazine M is formed witha tapered spout 25 through which the material forming the tamale isadapted to be discharged. The discharge of the material from the spent25 can be regulated by means of a shutter 26 slidably fitted on thetrack 27 formed on the spout, and adjustable by means of a nut 27threadedly fitted on the bolt 28 riveted to the spout 25, and grooved toreceive a pair of ears 26 formed on the shutter 26. In ei'lecting aspreading of the material over the huslrs after its discharge from thespout 25, I provide a presser plate 29 formed with a forwardly curvedlowerend having a concave edge as clearly shown in Figure 5. The upperend of the plate 29 is slotted as indicated at 30 to receive a threadedstud 31 carrying a ring nut 32, the stud being mounted in the spout 25and the ring nut operating to clamp the plate in any verti- I an annularconvex portion 34- bordered by annular flat portions 35 all asclearlyshown in Figure 45. Framed about the wheel W is an endless belt Bformed of canvas or other suitable material and also trained about apulley P mounted on a shaft 36 positioned within that end o'lithe tableremote from the magazine M so that the periphery of the pulley isdisposed above the surface of the table top. Suitab e openings areformed in the table top 16 to allow of the passage of the upper stretchof the belt B above the table top and forwardly in the direction of thearrow in Figure 1.

For the purpose of maintaining the corn liusks in proper position uponthe belt B during the passage of the latter around the wheel W, grippingrollers R and endless belts B are provided and so arranged that thebelts are maintained in contact with the flat portions 35 of the. wheel\V, itof. course being understood that the belt B and the corn husks areinterposed between the wheel and the belts B, as clearly shown in Figure4. The rollers are arranged in pairs, with the forward pair of rollersmounted on the confronting ends of shafts 37 journaled in bearings 38.The rear pair of rollers'are mounted in a similar manner on shaft-s 39,it being noted however that the shafts 39 are in a plane slightly abovethe shafts 37 so that the corresponding rollers occupy a similarposition. This particular arrangement is for the purpose of maintainingthe belts 13' in proper contact with the wheel TV so that the picking upand discharging of the corn husks is rendered automatic, while at thesame time permitting of the discharge of the dough onto the husks duringthe period in which they are held firmly on the belt B.

To effect the discharge of the dough from the magazine M, a follower 39is adapted to be superimposed upon the material as shown in Figure 3 andforced downwardly within the magazine by compressed air introduced intothe magazine through a pipe 40 mounted in the cover 23 and connected toa flexible pipe 41 which latter in turn communicates with an air pump42. A check valve 43 is arranged at the end of the pipe 41 and a reliefvalve 43 is mounted in the cover 93 which is manually adjustable toallow the escape of air from the magazine to maintain a predeterminedair pressure within the magazine irrespective of the speed or dimensionsof the pump.

The mechanism for actuating the pump 32 and the wheel lV may be of anysuitable form. However, in the present instance I have shown a motor 44mounted on the platform 17 and operatively connected to a shaft 45through a pulley and belt connection. The shaft 45 in turn isoperatively connected to the air pump 42 through a pulley and beltconnection, and to a shaft 46 through a similar connection. The shaft 46is journaled in hangers 47 arranged so that the shaft is disposed atrightsangles to the shaft 33. The shaft 46 is operatively connected tothe shaft 33 by a worm 48 fixed to theshaft 46'and meshing with a gear49 fixed to the shaft 33. The operation of the apparatus is as fol lows:The corn husksdesignated at H in Fig. 3 are adapted to be insertedbetween the forward portions of the .belts B and B, and with the wheelmoving in the direction of the arrow it will be clear that the husks arefed forwardly and upwardly to a point beneath the discharge end ofthespout 25. As each husk is inserted between the belts, the forwardrollers R co-operate with the flat surfaces 35 of the wheel W ineffectively gripping the end portions ofthe husks so that they areheldsubstantially taut over the convex portion 34 thus occupyingythe'position shown in Figure 4.. The husks are held in this position priorand subsequent to the passing of the spout and when reaching a. pointbelow the spout the dough material is discharged upon the hush.Practically simultaneously with this discharge operation, the presscrplate 2i) operates to press the dough so as to cause it to adhere to thesurface of the husks so that the only further operation necessary tocomplete the formation of the tamale is the folding of the husk toenclose the dough. The belt ll functions to feed the husks with theirdough forwardly over the table T which operators remove and perform thefolding operations in completing the tamales.

By virtue of the adjustment of the shutter 26 and the presser plate 29,it will be clear that the amount of material discharged upon each huskand the pressure with which it is packed can be varied in formingtamales of different sizes. It is to be understood that a wheel having aflat periphery can be substituted for the wheel lV when making tamaleswith a paper wrapping.

Although I have herein shown and de scribed onl one form of tamalemaking apparatus embodying my invention, it is to be understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made herein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of theappendeijl claims.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A tamale making apparatus comprising a constantly movable conveyor,gripping means for holding corn husks on said conveyor, means fordischarging a tamale forming dough on the husks, and means for spreadingthe dough over the husks.

2. A tamale making apparatus comprising an endless conveyor belt a doughcontaining magazine above the belt and having a spout for dischargingthe dough onto said belt, and means for holding corn husks on said beltto receive said dough.

3. A tamale making apparatus compris ing an endless conveyor belt, adough containing magazine above the belt and having a spout fordischarging the dough onto said belt, means for holding corn husks onsaid belt to receive said dough, andmeans for spreading the dough oversaid husks.

4. A tamale making apparatus comprising a wheel, an endless belt trainedabout the wheel, gripping rollers positioned above the wheel, beltstrained about the gripping rollers and contacting with the belt of saidwheel for holding corn husks on said belt, and a dough containingmagazine arranged above said wheel and having a discharge spoutinterposed between said rollers for discharging dough onto said cornhusks.

5. A tamale making apparatus compris ing. a wheel, an endless belttrained about the wheel, gripping rollers positioned above the wheel,belts trained about the gripping rollers and contacting with the belt ofsaid wheel .for holding corn husks on said belt, a dough containingmagazine arranged above saidwheel and having a discharge spoutinterposed between said rollers for discharging dough onto said cornhusks, a shutter for controlling the discharge of dough from said spout,and a spreading plate adjustably sustained on the spout for effecting aspreading of the dough over said husks.

6. A tamale making apparatus comprising a wheel, an endless belt trainedabout the wheel, gripping rollers positioned above the wheel, beltstrained about the gripping rollers and contacting with the belt of saidwheel for holding corn husks on said belt, a dough containing magazinearranged above said wheel and having a discharge spout interposedbetween said rollers for discharging dough onto said corn husks,pneumatlc means for efl'ecting a dlscharge oi? the dough from saidspout, an adjustable shutter for controlling the discharge of dough, anda spreading plate adjustable on the spout for efl'ecting a spreading ofthe dough over said husks.

7. A tarnale making apparatus comprising a wheeL having itsperipheryformed with an annular convex portion and annular convex portion, anendless belt trained about said wheel and flexible to conform to thecontour ofthe periphery thereof, gripping rollers arranged in pairs,endless belts trained about said rollers, the arrangement of saidrollersbeing such that one stretch of said belts isin contact with thoseportions of the first belt which engage the flat portions of said Wheel,a magazine arranged above the wheel and having said spout, a shutteradjustable to control thesaid spout, and a spreader plate adjustable onsaid spout for the purpose described.

8. A tamale making apparatus comprising a wheel having its peripheryformed with an annular convex portion and annular fiat portionsbordering the convex portion, an endless belt trained about said wheeland flexible to conform'to the contour of the periphery thereof,gripping rollers arranged in pairs, endless belts trained about saidrollers, the arrangement such that one stretch of said belts is in con:tact with those portions of the first belt which engage the flatportions of said wheel, a magazine arranged above the wheel and having adischarge spout disposed between sald pair of rollers, a follower withinsaid magazine, pneumatic means acting on said follower for ejectingdough from said magazine through said spout, a shutter adjustable tocontrol said spout, and a spreader plate adjustable on said spout forthe purpose described.

9. A tamale making apparatus ing a constantly movable conveyor, grippingmeans for holding sheets of paper on said conveyor, means fordischarging a tamale forming dough on the sheets of paper, and means forspreading the dough over the sheets of paper. V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

AMANDO M. OJEDA.

adischarge spout disposed. between 5310i pair of rollers, pneumaticmeans for forcibly e ecting dough from of said rollers being;

compris-

